


Back Scratches

by Stariceling



Category: Toriko (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Back Scratches, Gen, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-14
Updated: 2016-03-14
Packaged: 2018-05-30 22:00:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6442675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stariceling/pseuds/Stariceling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zebra can't stop paying attention to the loud, wiggly bundle Komatsu makes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Back Scratches

**Author's Note:**

> For the nonsexual intimacy meme thing on tumblr. Prompt: Back Scratches

Zebra could tell where there were patches of comparatively solid ground that snaked here and there just under the deceptive surface of the marsh, but there was nothing to discourage him from picking Komatsu up and wading across after anything that interested him. Anything cocky enough to try to eat them could be lunch.

If he had expected Komatsu to keep up on foot, that would have been a problem. There where places where a misstep would have had the small chef in over his head, and on his own he would be mistaken for a tasty morsel by one of the water-walking sandpipers or wide-mouthed salamanders. Instead he hung safely at Zebra’s back.

He was distracting. Even when he wasn’t exclaiming in joy and terror about the environment and the ingredients, he was ever-present in Zebra’s ears. Zebra was still aware of the sound of his breathing, and even the pulse of his heart. He couldn’t seem to filter out those sounds.

In spite of the fact that they had rigged a rough harness in case Zebra needed to move quickly and forgot he had a passenger, Komatsu kept his arms wrapped tightly around Zebra’s neck. Komatsu wasn’t heavy or uncomfortable to carry, but he was warm. His little shifts and his breath on Zebra’s neck only added to the fact that Zebra could not ignore him.

Komatsu wiggled slightly to adjust himself and Zebra rolled one shoulder in response, as if to adjust his own skin to align better with the small bundle he was carrying.

Komatsu stretched himself up, probably trying to get a better look at what lay ahead. His hands tightened on Zebra’s shoulders.

Zebra stretched out his other shoulder, shifting Komatsu slightly but doing absolutely nothing to change how he felt.

When Komatsu stopped wiggling and settled closer again, Zebra found himself holding his shoulders tense. For some reason the fact of Komatsu’s presence was like a prickle on his skin.

“Zebra-san, are you okay? Do you have an itch? I mean, I could scratch it for you from here.”

“I don’t care,” Zebra answered. He couldn’t hear in his own tone the sharpness of rejection. Maybe he had to forgive Komatsu for hearing, ‘Do whatever you want.’

Komatsu shifted so he could scratch at a point high on Zebra’s back, between his shoulders. When Zebra didn’t immediately make his displeasure known, Komatsu settled into a steady tempo. He leaned back, trusting the harness so he could use both hands and reach further down Zebra’s back. His hands were surprisingly strong, enough to be felt though thick shirt and thick skin. His nails erased the prickle under Zebra’s skin, only to replace it with a more pleasant tingle.

Zebra made a noise like a purr deep in his throat, which appeared to be the signal for Komatsu to work his way back up his spine, delivering waves of firm scritches along the way.

“Did I get it?” Komatsu asked, hopefully.

The backs of Zebra’s ears burned in a way that had absolutely nothing to do with the warm bundle on his back. “Don’t start getting cocky!”

“Wah! I’m sorry! I thought I was helping!” Komatsu didn’t flail, but hung on as Zebra plowed ahead, towards an unremarkable clump of sedges with deep red tentacles curling out of it. He recovered almost immediately. “Zebra-san, I thought you said the path was that way. Did you hear something?”

The main thing Zebra heard was the little jump of Komatsu’s heart, both excited and nervous at whatever he imagined Zebra was aiming for.

For once Zebra was devoting more thought to what was behind him than ahead. His skin tingled pleasantly between his shoulder blades. It felt refreshed. The warm weight of Komatsu against his back only seemed to heighten the strange sensation.

Zebra wasn’t about to say anything, but he found he didn’t want to put Komatsu down just yet.

* * *

When they finally stopped for a rest it was past time for lunch and they had discovered the difficulty of trying to eat a sundew squid without it trying to eat you back. And, perhaps more importantly, Komatsu kept wiggling, which was becoming maddening for Zebra.

Komatsu still couldn’t stop wiggling once he was down. He twisted one arm back, then the other, trying to touch a spot in the middle of his back while Zebra watched.

“Zebra-san, can you help me, please? I have an itch I really can’t reach.”

He should be angry because what kind of stupid thing was that to ask where did he get the balls to assume how dare he know Zebra’s would actually do it. . . Zebra’s complaints were all sub-vocal as he knelt behind Komatsu.

When Komatsu stopped wiggling he reached forward to touch the point between his shoulder blades he seemed to be reaching for. He started scratching the area with one finger, gentle enough not to knock Komatsu to his knees.

Komatsu made a pleased noise and shifted, making Zebra freeze for a few seconds. “Can you go lower?” he requested.

Scratching his way lower rewarded him with another pleasant noise. Zebra added the rest of his fingers to cover a wider area and Komatsu bent forward, back arching against his hand.

The action was unexpectedly meditative. He was almost surprised when Komatsu turned his head with one of those blinding smiles and said, “Thanks. Ah, I promise I won’t get cocky about this, so-”

“You’d better not!” Zebra, snapped, withdrawing his hand. He felt out of his depth, and he wasn’t sure if he liked it or not.

When Komatsu smiled, every part of him ringing with sincerity in Zebra’s ears, Zebra thought that maybe he could learn to like things like this.


End file.
